Motorcycle Safety is a Two-way Street

When spring is in the air, motorcycles are everywhere. Do you long for the freedom that comes with riding on the open road? Then it's critical to respect your machine and improve your skills throughout your lifetime.

But that's only half the story. Motorists interested only in four-wheeled vehicles still have a major responsibility in keeping motorcyclists safe on the road.

First, Some Stats

In 2016, 4,976 motorcycle riders and passengers died in crashes, and nonfatal injuries that year totaled 88,000, according to
Injury Facts® 2017, the statistical compendium on unintentional deaths and injuries published by NSC. Fatalities among motorcycle riders and passengers have increased nearly 3% from 2006, driven largely by an 8% increase in 2015.

Motorcycles make up 3% of all registered vehicles and only .7% of all vehicle miles traveled in the U.S.

Motorcyclists accounted for 13% of all traffic fatalities in 2016

26% of riders who died in a motorcycle crash in 2016 were alcohol-impaired

91% of riders who died in a motorcycle crash in 2016 were male

Drivers: Do You Ever Think About Motorcycles?

The vast majority of vehicles on the road are not motorcycles. They're cars and vans and trucks. It's quite possible that as a driver you rarely think about motorcycles.

Driver education programs should emphasize these issues – especially in programs for mature drivers who may have diminished abilities.

36% of All Fatalities in 2016 Were Older Riders

Riders 50 and older made up 36% of all motorcycle fatalities in 2016, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. So-called "re-entry riders," who rode in their 20s and decided to take it up again in their late 40s to 60s face additional challenges today: more traffic, more powerful bikes, more distracted drivers and diminished physical skills.

If you're going to ride a motorcycle, it's important to commit to a lifetime of learning new skills and brushing up on the old ones.